90YotaPickup

perhaps piston slap

i mean i dont know what im talking about........ im just putting it out there since my truck does it too

DanStew

This is what my rattling sound turned into

Slowstrike

it sounds very similar to what overtightened valves sound like with some slap of what a timing chain sounds like have fun with that

Kiroshu

most likely a timing issue but there cuold be something loose or disconnected in it. Theres not much way to tell unless you take it apart and see for your self.
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95 Toyota 4runner SR5 V6 3.0 Automatic 4x4 151,000 Miles

Red_Chili

If the valve cover is overtightened (or thinner non-OEM cover gaskets used, possibly) the rocker arms can 'tick' against the valve cover.

RPM-specific like 2K-2100 sound more like piston slap, or maybe wrist pin play. Providing mileages would probably be helpful. It can also be the timing chain. Don't let that go... the aluminum has to go somewhere, and that can come to a bad end. DAMHIK. If it gets too loose, it can also take out bits from the bottom of the timing cover, and they too have to go somewhere. I have main bearings, big end bearings, and an oil pump that give clues where it goes courtesy of the PO of my 93.

1990-95 have a bulkhead seal around the steering shaft where it goes through the firewall. When it (slowly, so you don't notice) goes away you get all kinds of annoying noises coming into the cab.

podzie

I'm at around 123k miles with no Timing Chain work done yet. I figure I'm gonna bite the bullet and order the kit from Enginebuilder and bust it out this weekend to be safe.

How would one remedy the piston slap if that's what it turns out to be?

Thanks guys!

gsb15

it could be a lack of oil getting to the top end, i had it on my old motor at 3000. made for a good shift indicator

Matt16

Try changing the oil filter. It helped with my rattle.

Red_Chili

Lack of oil does not cause piston slap, it causes top end oil starvation and eats the cam and rockers in short order. The pistons and bores are oiled via splash from the crankcase; changing to a different brand of filter will not alter this. Piston slap is due to the piston skirts being slightly small for the bore, though some is normal for a 22RE. When new the skirts are slightly larger than the top of the piston. As the pistons heat up, the crown is hotter and expands to fill the bore about even with the skirts. (Another reason to let your motor warm up a bit and not do jackrabbit starts with a cold motor.) Over time, the pistons' skirts get a bit battered and the bore wears. The remedy is an overhaul (bore/hone/deck, and new pistons/bearings/rings). I'd live with it if your compression is good.

Startup rattle is something else entirely. This is caused by oil draining back to the pan, so it takes a moment to build pressure in the timing chain tensioner which then tensions the timing chain. A quality oil filter with a good anti-drainback flapper will help with this. Lately in my experience Toyota filters sometimes are good, sometimes no better than others, it's a crap shoot.

Rod knock is also something entirely different. Lots of causes, from worn bearings, to blockage in the oil passages... but it is a deep knock and worse under load.

Wrist pins also wear in the 22RE and can be noisy - and hard to diagnose.

123K is about the service limit for a timing chain and replacement should not be deferred. Do yourself a favor and follow the FSM method, which does not shortcut R&R of the head gasket. Head gaskets also have a service interval! Be sure to check the block deck for wear, and the head for flatness. A little matters a LOT. Refer to the FSM for service limits.

When you drop the pan (and that is NOT optional, it needs to be cleaned out), it would be wise to pull a few bearing caps and inspect the bearings. Not much more work.

Bad things happen when the guides go. The PO of my 93 deferred the timing chain. The timing cover was badly grooved though it had not yet worn through to the coolant passage (instant problems), but worse, bits of the aluminum around the lower sprocket had been shredded and three teeth were missing off the lower sprocket (though it did not jump time - amazingly enough). All this got pulverized, sucked into the oil pickup, ground up by the oil pump, and distributed to all the bearings, ruining everything in the oil circuit. I will have essentially a new motor when the overhaul is complete, something I did not plan on when I bought the truck.

The motor still ran well, the only symptom was the timing chain rattle which was bad. No rod knock.

podzie

I always heard these little 4 cylinders were bullet proof....now it seems that they're a little suicidal???

Thank you for all of your input!

Red_Chili

Only if they feel ignored...

You can grenade anything with enough inattention and abuse.

bigtrucknwheels

*cough cough* 3VZE *cough cough*

KODE

i had the same noise in my 22re automatic. sounded like a rod knock, but when i poured a little sea foam in the throttle body intake, and a whole bottle of sea foam in my 1/4 full gas tank, i drove it for about 20 min. and the noise was gone! a friend of mine said its because auto's dont usually rev up enough to get the carbon build up out of the engine...i had that noise for about 2 months before i did the sea foam treatment.

my current 86' truck with a 22r makes the same noise only when im in 3rd gear at around 2100 rpms. i didnt do the sea foam treatment yet. im gonna do it soon when im ready to change the fluids and do a tune up. also gonna put some lucas oil staibilizer since the mileage is around 150k....

SLOWBOOST

most of the time its just detonation. try using premium gas for your next fill up and see if it changes anything. if it does you know where your problem lies, if not then its time to start preparing for a rebuild.

KODE

i think the noise on my truck is the timing chain guides. my 86 has 147k miles on it........the noise only happens when im driving in 3rd gear and up, and when i floor it....the noise is a rattling noise like when youre just about to die out...

toyotatom93

I have a rattle that usually occurs a bit higher, like 2500ish, usually shifting out of second I get a quick fast loud rattle.

I got my mechanic who worked for Toyota as a mechanic for 15 years about it when it was in for something else. And he said it was the rod bearing

SLOWBOOST

alot cheaper and easier to just try the gas. This is a problem lots of toyotas have and can be mis-diagnosed as something else.

HelliphinoN8

Everything described as a rattle when the rpm's are going up while accelerating past, and coming back down past the 2,100 range describe exactly what mine was doing. I changed the timing chain, guides and tentioner, and that cured it. If you're not sure, do what I did. Pull the valve cover off(very simple) and shine a flashlight down the driver's side of the timing chain. If you see two grooves worn into the timing cover you'll know it's the guides and tentioner. Do this, then post what you see.

podzie

I ran out and bought a stethoscope. I isolated the noise to the distributor cap, checked the rotor and all was cool. Then I kinda got to thinking about where dizzy stabs into..

Just got my tc kit from Engnbldr...gonna tackle it this week.

CyMoN

I would also replace the oil pan gasket with new sealant at the same time.